Cats and Demons
by Mew Mafa
Summary: As you know, Rin always had a soft spot for animals. So when he meets Ichigo, the leader of Tokyo Mew Mew, can he withstand the charm of her adorable cat ears? RinxIchigo sort of. But not really.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hello, dear readers! I'm finally back, this time with a crossover. My first anime and my current fav, the two main characters, my stupid dream - and here we are! So read and (I hope) enjoy. Also, tell me your opinion, because I don't know what to think of this idea...**

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"So tired..." - whined Ichigo, laying her head on the table. Her red hair was messy and she had "panda" eyes from the lack of sleep.

Minto poured some tea into her cup. "You are just a lazy bone. The only thing you want to do is hang out with your boyfriend".

Ichigo shot her a glare, but Mint only smirked and sipped her tea.

"You are one to talk. The only thing you want is drink tea. How does it feel to be single, huh?"

Minto put down her cup and gave the cat-mew a deathly look. Before this could turn into a bloody massacre, Ryou came walking. "Close the cafe, - he said - we have an important day tomorrow".

All the mews looked at him. "What do you mean?" - asked a puzzled Ichigo.

"We'll make a performance!" -squealed Pudding, jumping up and down.

Ryou smirked, "Nope, You are having a special training". "Special training?"

Akasaka walked out of the kitchen and smiled. "Yes, we contacted an organization, which specializes in demon hunting and offered our help".

"Without asking us first". - said Zakuro coldly. "

"Yeah, and what's this organization anyways?" - asked Ichigo angrily.

"Well, first of, you have much free time now, during summer vacation,"- said Akasaka and gave them an apologetic smile.

"And secondly, the Knights of the True Cross is an authoritative organization. It is governed by the Vatican."

"Who's that?" - asked Ichigo, but Ryou ignored her. "They train young people to be demon hunters. Since you have experience in Chimera killing, it will be a good method of exchanging knowledge and skill. Besides, you will meet up with a group of teens, or, as they call themselves, _exorcists_ in training".

"But Shirogane! - whined Ichigo - Why do we need this training?"

"What could we possibly learn from a bunch of kids?" - asked an annoyed Mint.

"I...I think it's a good idea..." - stuttered Lettuce. Ichigo gave her a look of disbelief. Pudding jumped up and down, clapping her hands. Zakuro nodded thoughtfully. "Indeed. We have much time now that the aliens are gone. I guess some extra training would be good".

Keiichirosmiled at her, and Mint looked at her idol with hearts in the eyes, "You are right, onee-sama!"

Ichigo was the only one, who was still pouting.

"Oh, I almost forgot, - said Ryou and looked at looked at Ichigo, - bring your lover-boy a.k.a. boyfriend". The blond man smirked, "I'm sure he needs some training too, now that he is a normal human".

Ichigo turned red in anger (Duh, Shirogane was practically insulting her boyfriend in public!), but then she smiled to herself. Now she had an excuse to spend time with Aoyama-kun. Um...with Masaya! Yeah, it will be fun!

"Now go home and have some rest", - Ryou's voice brought her back from planet "Lovey-dovey" and she jumped up, feeling enthusiastic. "Right!"

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Unfortunately, the next morning came sooner than they have hoped, and the five girls + Masaya gathered in the cafe. They had been waiting for half an hour, when finally Ryou came in, but this time not with Keiichiro. The person next to him was a man in his mid-40th and he was dressed like...a clown! The girls blinked several times, trying to comprehend the sight in front of them.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, ladies, - said the strange man from Wonderland in a sweet tone, eyeing the girls, - I'm Sir Johann Faust the V. I'm the president of the Japan branch of the Knights of the True Cross. Also, I'm the director of True Cross Academy". He nodded at Masaya, assuming that he was the leader. "I'm looking forward to cooperate with you all".

"Well, Mr. Faust, - started Zakuro, since the others were a little too shy/ too confused to talk to him. - Where are those exorcists Mr. Shirogane told us about?"

Sir Faust smirked, pulling out...a key. "Oh, they are waiting for you to arrive. Their teacher brought them to one of our training rooms. Shall we go?"

The group kept silence, only Ryou and Zakuro nodded. Mr. Faust turned around and approached the door of the lab. As soon as he put the key into the lock, the door glowed for a moment and a red and blue cross appeared on it. Mr. Faust turned back to the mews, "Such keys allow exorcists to travel all over the world. It also has the ability to turn 'every' door into a portal".

"It's quite helpful," - murmured Masaya. Mr. Faust grinned some more, "Indeed". He opened the door and stepped in. Ryou followed him, along with Zakuro, but the others were hesitating.

Pudding gulped and grabbed Lettuce's hand. "Let's go together, onee-chan". Mint followed her idol. Masaya gently took Ichigo's hand and smiled reassuringly. Ichigo smiled back and they went through the door. The last thing they heard was a "Good luck!" from Keiichiro **.**

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"Welcome to True Cross Academy's training room!"

That was the first thing Ichigo heard as she entered the big hall. She saw her friends, who had gathered in a group. As Masaya and she stepped to them, the cat-mew saw a group of teens standing in front of them. Some were smiling at them, other's had neutral expressions. Another thing Ichigo noticed that most of them were boys.

Ryou stood next to a guy in a dark coat. The young man's age was hard to tell, but Ichigo assumed he was around 18. He had short brown hair, teal eyes and he was wearing glasses. Also he had a piece of paper in his hands, probably a document or a list.

Mr. Faust was standing between the two groups. "Now then, I'll leave you with Mr. Shirogane and Mr. Okumura". And in a poofof pink smoke he was gone.

Ichigo blinked, and exchanged confused glances with her friends.

Since no one else seemed to care, Ichigo decided to analyze the teens in front of her. There was a boy with glasses, who looked like a kid, a tall one with messy light-pink or even orange hair. Next to them stood a guy, who looked like a punk. His hair was messy, punk-rock style, he had piercing and very scary eyes. Hard core.

Ichigo gulped. _'What in the...?'_

She glanced at the two girls. One of them, who had dark purple hair, reminded her of Mint, for she had the same "aura" of independence and snobbism.

The other, a blond beauty, rather appealing (for guys of course), smiled kindly at them. _'Just like Lettuce, '_ \- thought Ichigo and smiled back. The weird thing about the blond was that a small green creature was sitting on her shoulder, making cute noises. Ichigo raisedan eyebrow, but then glanced at her own pink fur ball, Masha. Yep, to _them_ it must look strange too.

And finally, next to the blond, stood a tall guy with black-bluish hair, carrying a dark-red sword-case over his shoulder.

"Now then, - started the teacher, who was introduced as Mr. Okumura, - lets get to know each other. This is the Cram School class, exorcists in training. Konekomaru Miwa and Renzo Shima, arias in training". The one with the glasses bowed, the orange-haired smirked and winked at the mews. _'What a_ _creep'_ \- thought Ichigo.

"Aria and dragon, Reyuji Shugaro **".** The punk nodded.

The tamers - Izumo Kamiki and Shiemi Moriyama". The girls smiled, and sighed, "Knight in training -Rin Okumura". The blue-haired boy nodded, "The next Paladin". Now he looked even snobbier than Izumo and Mint together. "What's a pala-pala?" - asked Pudding curiously. Rin looked like he got punched in the face. "What?! You don't even know that?!"

"Well, we aren't exo-whatever, so we don't know what you are talking about," - said Mint.

"Then who are you?" - asked Shugaro.

Ryou stepped in, "If you don't mind, I shall explain".

Ichigo listened carefully as Shirogane described their heroic team, which had saved Japan(Duh, the whole Earth!) from the alien invasion.

The exorcist clapped with appreciation. "I didn't know there was an alien invasion," - murmured Konekomaru thoughtfully."

Rin huffed,turning away. "Yeah, 'cause we were too busy fighting-"

"Rin!" - yelled Mr. Okumura. "Oh, come on, Yukio, you know I'm telling the truth". The mews and exorcists watched, as suddenly 's aura turned devilish. "If you don't stop this, you'll go straight to the special training with Miss Kirigakure".

Rin was about to say something, but then just gulped and looked away. Ichigo mentally decided that Miss Kirigakure was more or less a female demon.

"Now then, - said Mr. Okumura, who had "turned" back to his teacher form, - we have paired you up, so you can exchange training and fighting methods on your own. I'll give each of you a key, which will lead you to special training room. Now here are the pairs". The two groups gathered around him.

"Miss Aizawa and Miss Kamiki". The two girls approached and smiled at each other. "Now they get along pretty well," - murmured Ichigo. Rin, who stood next to her, heard that. "Snobby birds of one feather..." He didn't finish, but Ichigo giggled.

"Miss Fujiwara and Miwa".

Zakuro approached the boy, who blushed like mad. "Shall we go?" - she asked in a seductive tone, giving him a flashing smile. Konekomaru turned into a complete tomato, but nodded firmly and even offered her his arm, which caused his friends to stare with mouths open.

Shima whistled. "Wow! Never thought that such beauties could save the world. Man, I hope I'll be as lucky as Koneko..."

"Shima and Miss Fong," - announced . Pudding jumped towards the boy and, grabbing his arm, pulled him forward. "Come on, onii-chan," - she squeaked. Shima only sweat-dropped, wiping away fake tears of disappointment.

Next were Shiemi Moriyama and Lettuce Mindorikawa, and Rin sighed in relief. The blond waved as she went through the door, and Rin waved back, grinning like a fool. Sure, they weren't dating officially, but Rin has always considered Shiemi as ' _his'_ , and she liked him too, it was obvious. So he was glad that she was paired up with a girl.

"Aoyama Masaya and Shugaro". turned to Ryou, "I suppose the leaders should work together".

Hearing this, Ichigo opened her mouth to protest, but Ryou answered before her: "Well, technically the strongest in the team is her". He nodded at Ichigo. "But I guess Aoyama has more leadership skill, so..." nodded, "Mr. Shugaro is the unofficial leader too, but he is quite strong".

He sighed, glancing at Rin, who just looked away. Sure, Bon was very talented and hardworking, but when it came to fighting Rin was more experienced.

The boy sighed _. 'As if I'll ever be a leader...Nope, I'm still a demon.'_ He was pulled out of his gloomy thoughts, when realization dawned in him. Bon walked off with the dark-skinned boy. That left only him and...

He glanced at the red-haired girl next to him. She was the same age as he, a head shorter. She waved at the boy, who was walking off with Shugaro. The boy was smiling.

"Rin! Here is your key!" - he heard Yukio shout. As his brother handed him the golden item, he murmured into Rin's ear, "Please explain everything to her before drawing your sword. I don't want her to die from a heart attack, when she sees you covered in blue flames".

Rin glared at his twin. "I'm not as dumb as you think".

Yukio sighed, "Just be careful". He nodded towards his older brother and then walked off, discussing something with Shirogane.

Ichigo approached him. "Are you his favorite student or something?" - she asked. Rin glared, but then saw that she was simply curious. He chuckled. "Nope, he's my brother".

"Wow! It must be cool to have a big brother".

Rin sighed, opening one of the doors with the magic key. "Actually, we are twins and I'm the elder one". He expected her to be all shocked and would say something along the line: "Really?! But he looks more mature/smarter/ more attractive (this one in particular was his biggest fear) than you". And so on and so on.

He was pleasantly surprised when she kept silence. Rin glanced at her. She looked nervous, clutching the edge of her shirt and staring into the black nothing before her.

He smiled sympathetically. "Don't worry, it's fine".

She looked at him doubtfully. He offered her his hand. "I was a little scared too, when walking through this door the first time. But we will land in a normal training room".

Ichigo blinked. "Oh. And what if we land on island with snakes and tigers?"

Rin chuckled, "Then, I'll fight them off and protect you. Trust me".

Ichigo looked at him skeptically, but then smiled shyly and took his hand. Rin grinned and together they went through the door.

 **End part 1. TBC.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Um…hi? I know I know: why do even bother finishing this? Well, I had it written out in my copybook, was just too lazy to type it, correct errors and actually finish it (there was no ending written). But here it is. It could be a little illogical (at least some parts), because the idea came from a dream I had a long time ago.**  
 **And yes, this is the 2** **nd** **and last chapter. No more. Enjoy!**

 **Cats and Demons  
**

 **Chapter 2**

Ichigo decided that walking through a magical door was the same as teleporting. She squeezedRin's hand tighter and finally opened her eyes. "What the-?!" - she heard him say. To her great relief she didn't see angry monsters, but...a field with green grass and pink flowers. She looked around and noticed that there were white walls. "It's just designed like a field," - she murmured. Rin snored, "Mephisto is creepy!"

They stood in the middle of the room and looked at each other. "So, - murmured Rin awkwardly, - what should we do?"

Ichigo thought for a moment, "Let me transform first". The boy raised an eyebrow. "Transform?"

Ichigo smiled mischievously and pulled out her pendant.

 _"Mew Mew Strawberry, Metamorphose!"_

A bright, pink lightsurrounded her and blinded Rin for a moment. He covered his eyes with his hand. When the light had faded, the boy looked at Ichigo and gasped, unable to hide his awe. Not only did her appearance and clothes change, no, that wasn't the part that had amazed him. Sure, she looked like a pink bubble gum girl, but it was cute. Rin stared at her and tried not to droll: she had cute black cat ears and a fluffy tail, with a pink rainbow! Rin gulped. This was too much. He could handle a bunch of demons, but this strange creature that made his heart beat faster...

"Wow! - he let out - That's so cool!" Ichigo smiled, "Well, when transforming into Mew Ichigo, I can use more abilities. But..." She cocked her head to the side. "How do you fight?"

Rin sighed. Truth be told, he had hoped she would spend more time talking about herself/her powers/team/ etc. So he wouldn't have to tell his own story. Alas!

"Well, I use this". He pulled the sword out of the dark red sword-case. Ichigo's eyes lit up with.

"Thing is, I sort of transform too when I draw Kurikara. That's the sword's name". Ichigo frowned, "But why do you transform? I mean, how is that possible? You are human".

Rin avoided her gaze, "Not really, no. I'm a half-demon". She gasped, and he tightened his grip on the sword, but continued anyways: "My demonic powers were sealed into the sword". He glanced at her from the corner of his eyes, expecting to see fear or hate on her face. But she just looked surprised and curious. Ichigo smiled sympathetically."Then transform".

Rin did as he was told. As soon as the flames burst out of the sword and consumed the boy, Ichigo jumped back. But she was quite surprised at her own feelings. She wasn't scared at all, only fascinated and utterly confused. When the flames had settled down, she looked at Rin. He looked the same, despite the demon tail behind him, the vivid blue eyes, the horns and… pointed ears.

Ichigo blinked. ' _Just like Kisshu 's… '_ She blinked again, but then shook her head to get out the memories. She couldn't understand who and what this creature before her was and why…why she felt so attracted to him. It was ridiculous, but the fascination she felt grew with each moment her eyes were locked on his form. A demon, but not the monster she had imagined. She wouldn't go that far and call him handsome, but there was something about him. He looked powerful, courageous even. Just like a hero.

Rin came closer. He, too, was fascinated by the cat-girl, but they had to work. More like exchange fighting methods and, although he wanted to, he couldn't spend his time admiring her. Yukio would kill him for being lazy. So he said: "Let's do our best". He felt awkward after saying such cliché things, but Ichigo nodded, smiling at him.

They spend a few hours training, explaining their methods of fighting, and discussing pros and cons of each way. It was quite fun, but soon enough they were tired and decided to have a rest. Ichigo sat on her knees and Rin let himself fall on the soft grass.

"I wonder, - said Ichigo after a while, - how our friends are doing". Rin looked up, "Fine, I think". Ichigo sighed and said to herself. "I wonder how Aoyama-kun is doing…"

"Who's that?" – Rin asked a little too harsh. He realized his mistake when Ichigo gave him bewildered look. "Um…he is the tall, dark-haired boy from our team. The one your brother mistook for our leader". Rin snored. "Oh, that one. I thought that was a girl. I mean what a pussy. I wonder how he saved the world. With a crappy magical girl's speech?!" Rin didn't know what had happened to him. He didn't even know that guy long enough to criticize him. But for some reason he didn't like the way Ichigo worried about him.

Maybe he just needed blow off some steam, but after his short monolog he wasn't aware of the pink tiger that had appeared instead of Ichigo. So when the half-demon opened his eyes, he shrieked and backed away. "What's wrong with you?!" – he yelped. Ichigo, the cute kitten, was fuming. Her face was red, she was showing her sharp fangs and openly hissing at him.

"How dare you insult my Aoyama-kun?!"- yelled the demon-tiger. Rin blinked. "Wha- Is he your buddyor something?" "No, - roared Ichigo, - he is my boyfriend!" Rin's jaw dropped. "What?! For real?! That looser is your boyfriend?!"

Ichigo hissed and jumped at him. Rin wasn't expecting this move, so when she landed on him, he found himself pressed to the ground. Ichigo dug her nails into his upper arms. "Don't you dare call him a loser! Ever!"

Rin raised an eyebrow, "Oh, how about girly-girl then, huh?" Before Ichigo could react, he pushed her off and, grabbing her wrist, sent her flying over his shoulder. Ichigo gasped in surprise and landed on her butt. "Jeez, calm down, - said Rin, - It was a joke. Nothing personal". He kneeled in front of her and offered her his hand. Ichigo glared up at him and slapped his hand away. "I don't need help from a demon". She regretted said statement in the same moment, when Rin backed away, hurt written all over his face. She was about to apologize, but suddenly the boy grabbed her arm and pulled her up. "I'm not a demon, got that?!" – he growled. Ichigo felt shivers run down her spine, but then another wave of anger washed over her. "If you aren't a demon, then stop acting like one". Rin bared his fangs, "Stupid girl. You don't even know how it's like to be out in the battle".

It started again. They couldn't remember who had made the first move, or how they began, but they did. They rolled around in a mix of pink and blue. Each tried to stop the other, but it was hopeless. They were so engrossed into each other and into fighting, that they didn't notice how or when they had gone right through another door. They landed in a dark room full of closets and shelves with random items on them. Only when Rin's head hit something hard, the boy winced and looked around. "How the-?" – he murmured and rubbed the hurt appendage **.**

But that was his minor priority, because Ichigo grabbed something and threw it at him. The cat-girl was totally oblivious to her surroundings. A book hit Rin, then something heavier. "God damn it! Why are you so angry?!" – he yelled in attempt to stop her.

Surprisingly she did, she stopped throwing things at him, still clutching something in her hand. "Look, I'm sorry, - murmured Rin reluctantly, - I didn't want to insult your boyfriend." He blushed lightly. Apologizing was like a stab right into his ego. Ichigo sighed, "I'm sorry too. For calling you a demon, you were hurt, weren't you?"

Rin stood up, but before he could answer, he heard her shriek again. Apparently, Ichigo threw the object she had been holding at the nearest shelve. Said furniture wasn't very stable and something came flying from the top and right at her.

"Watch out!" – Rin screamed and jumped forward. Sadly, he wasn't fast enough and bucket fell on Ichigo's head. On top of that, Rin landed on her as well and both went down with a _thud._

"Are you alright?" – he asked in a hoarse ton. As Ichigo didn't answer he got worried. He reached out to touch her face. Something sticky was rolling down her head. Rin's heart stopped for a moment.

' _Blood?'_

But then Ichigo maned softly and grabbed her head. "Ouch…" Rin got off of her and pulled her on the feet. "Can…can you walk? Do you need the ambulance? Feeling dizzy?" Ichigo pushed him away lightly and murmured, "Switch on the lights, please".

He did and gasped. Indeed, her head was covered in something liquid, but, fortunately, it wasn't blood. It was- "Paint?" Rin looked at the pot. It was half-full with crimson paint. The other half was on Ichigo's head, small drops rolling down to her shoulders and dress. She grasped her hair. "What's that? What's wrong with my head?"

"Don't worry, - said Rin, trying to reassure her, - there is aWC somewhere here. I-I think it will…go away". He chuckled. Ichigo raised an eyebrow, "What's so funny?"

Rin shook his head. "Nothing". He hiccupped and clasped a hand over his mouth. Ichigo narrowed her eyes, "You are…"

It was too late, Rin was shaking. He avoided her gaze, so she wouldn't notice. Suddenly, he burst out laughing. Ichigo hissed, but it didn't help. He laughed so hard, that tears formed onhis eyes and he clutched his stomach. After a while he calmed down and glanced at the red-head.

She had tears in her eyes too, but not from laughing. She was truly crying. Rin rushed to her side, freaking out. "Hey, hey. It was a stupid joke. Sorry, I didn't mean it. You don't look funny". He rubbed her back, and Ichigo calmed down. She wiped her tears away. "Hey, - said Rin, trying to sound cheerful, - you look cute".

Ichigo stared at him. "I mean, - he explained, - this hair color does well with your…um…eyes and dress!" Ichigo giggled and Rin sighed in relief. "Really! You look like a raspberry". He bit his tongue and blushed. _'What a stupid thing to say!'_

Ichigo looked at him, the smile vanishing from her lips. "And you look like a punk". Rin cocked his head to the side, and she pointed at his hair. "You have some paint your fringe".

The conversation ended here. Rin opened another door, and they found themselves in the big hall from before. Their friends and comrades hadn't gotten back yet. Only Shirogane, Yukio and Mr. Faust (a.k.a. Mephisto) were present. They said something to them, but the teens ignored everybody and went to the WCs. They didn't even notice that the "Men" and "Women" were situated next door.

Ichigo looked around: there were sinks and big mirrors, cabinstoo. To her great relief she was the only one there. She went to the sink and washed her head, shoulders and arms. When the last drops of crimson had vanished in the depths along with the water, she put her head under the dryer. After a while she switched off the machine and transformed back into her human form. Ichigo took a deep breath and looked into the mirror.

She cursed: for some reason (a total illogical one) her hair had actually changed its colour. It was light crimson (the so called dark pink she actually liked), only the tips had stayed red. "A raspberry…" – she murmured.

Suddenly, the door opened slightly and she heard girls' voices. She quickly jumped into the cabinand closed the door. "What a day," – said a voice, which Ichigo didn't recognize. "Indeed. I'll need a long hot bath, when I get home". This one in particular sounded like Mint.

Ichigo sat on the floor, with her back pressed against the door, wrapped her arms around her knees and sighed. _'What a crazy day'._

The time she had spent with Rin had been ridiculous. On one hand, they had trained and it had been fun; the knowledge they obtained from each other would be useful in the future. On the other hand, it had ended in a fight. Of course, Ichigo blamed the boy, but it was probably her fault too **.** And then – "the pot of colour accident". The red- currently crimson-head put said appendage on her knees. She didn't know what to do: how to face Rin or Aoyama. For some reason she felt as if she had cheated on Masaya, merely because she had allowed herself to be attracted to another boy.

' _It's not like I like him or something…'_

No, she certainly didn't think of him in any romantic way, but she couldn't ignore the fascination she felt for the demon-boy. She also pitied him, for she sensed he had gone through a lot of trouble because of his " _dark blood"._ Fascination and pity.

' _Just like with Kisshu…'_ Only, she wasn't afraid of Rin, because he was easier to deal with than the said alien-boy. She sighed again.

Meanwhile in the Male WC Rin was staring into a mirror. He still had his demon features although he had packed Kurikara into the sword-case long ago. "Damn," – he murmured. His face was twitching between anger and desperation. Quite a funny combination, but he didn't care though.

' _What the hell is_ _wrong with me?!'_ – he growled mentally. _'I fight her, even though the only thing I want is to take her into my arms and never-'_

No, that was impossible. They came from different parts of the world, though they lived in the same country. The gap was just too big, plus they wouldn't see each other again. Never. An image of Shiemi flashed in his mind, and he felt guilt tug at his heart.

"God damn it!" – he roared suddenly and punched the mirror. The glass broke and small pieces fell on the floor, some cut Rin's hand and dug themselves into his flesh. "Ouch," – winced the blue-haired boy and then, out of desperation, kicked the wall with all his might. Sadly, he miscalculated his strength **.** And the wall crumbled, bricksfalling down.

"Shoot!" – he murmured, as sudden panic clutched him. _'Yukio will kill me. Or Methisto…'_ He wasn't sure who of them was scarier.

Out of nowhere he heard a gasp and a melodious voice said: "What's that?!"

' _No, this can't be!'_

He looked over the rubble that had become of the wall and couldn't believe his eyes. There she was, sitting in the corner, like a scared kitten. Her eyes were big and round, her hair still a messy raspberry-colour. Seeing him (and not, as expected, a monster), she relaxed and stood up, holding into the wall of the cabin. "Are you…alright?" – she asked him quietly. Rin blinked. _'Am I…?'_

Not answering, he stepped over the bricks and moved over to her. For a few seconds they stared at each other, different emotions dancing in their eyes. Suddenly, Rin crushed her into a hug. Ichigo flinched, gasping in surprise, but didn't push him away. He wrapped his arms around her tightly, backing away slightly, so that her back was pressed against the wall. There was feeling up **,** no kissing, nothing. The only thing he allowed himself was holding her and pressing his face into the crook of her neck. A wave of pity washed over Ichigo and she wrapped her arms around his torso. She knew that if she pushed him away now, he would be broken. He was clinging to her as if she was his only life source.

"Sorry," – he murmured, apologizing for nothing in particular. "It's okay," – she answered, forgiving him for something that had never happened. Absentmindedly, she ran her fingers though his hair, but Rin reacted to the innocent gesture. Ichigo felt something warm coming from him. She opened her eyes and saw he was covered in blue flames once again. For a moment she was afraid she would get burnt. But when his flames spread out and embraced her as well, she relaxed.

' _I thought they would be hot, but…they are just warm. And so nice'._ Her cat instinct kicked in and she purred. He was warming her, and she thought it was sweet. Her body relaxed some more, and so did her mind. She felt her hair and even clothes, which had gotten a little wet during the hair-washing procedure, dry. She giggled. Rin, who had snuggled his head between her neck and shoulder, murmured something. "It's nothing," – she whispered, and then chuckled, pressing her body closer to his. "Thanks for warming me". They could have stayed like this a little longer, but suddenly a voice broke the idyllic silence.

"Okumura? What the heck happened?" It was one of his classmates, who had walked into the WC, and, apparently, seen the mess. Rin tensed, but replied, without letting go of Ichigo. "It's okay. I'll repair it".

Other male voices could be heard now behind them. Ichigo went numb, when she recognized Aoyama-kun's voice. _'No! He can't see me like this, he won't understand…'_ She let go of Rin, and looked at him, a silent plea in her eyes. He nodded, but his eyes showed ever-growing sorrow. Suddenly, he winked at her and forced a grin. "Don't worry, my body is blocking yours. It'll be fine". He reached behind her and opened the door. He let her slip through the small opening and hastily shut the door. Ichigo heard the debris crunch, as Rin climbed over. "Sorry, I didn't like my ugly face, so I punched the mirror and…Well, my bad". He laughed sheepishly, as the others made comments.

The cat-mew sank on the floor, ignoring the girls that had already gathered in the room. Even through the door, she thought she could hear him think the same thing.

' _Just this once. After all, we won't see each other ever again'._ He really did remind her of Kisshu. Passionate, hot-tempered, desperate. So vivid and full of life. Maybe that was one of the reasons she allowed herself to be consumed by those intense feelings. Just for once. Because she felt somewhat guilty towards the alien, even though she had no reason to. _'It doesn't matter. It's over'_.

 **XxXxX**

The day was over. The two groups gathered in the big hall. The director of True Cross Academy thanked them for cooperation, saying he hoped the exorcist and mews would work together again someday. That were the usual formality, but all the teens just cared about one thing: getting home and the sooner the better. That's when the next surprise came. Mr. Faust, unpredictable as he was, announced that they could (and would) go home on a magic train – ("It travels a lot faster that an average vehicle!")

"But why?" – asked Izumo not bothering to hide her annoyance. "Yeah, can't we go back through that magical door, or whatever that was?" – added Mint.

The director grinned, his eyes glistering dangerously. "I'm afraid not, my lovely ladies. You see, the system malfunctioned, but our best men are already investigating the cause of the unpleasant problem". He twisted around his out-of-nowhere-appearing umbrella, pretending not to notice the glares of the teens. "But, - he announced triumphantly, - this is the perfect opportunity to test out the train!"

' _What are we? Guineapigs? ' –_ thought the exorcists, and mews. But there was no choice, so they simply followed the eccentric man.

 **XxXxX**

With tiredness pulling at her every muscle, Ichigo only vaguely registered her friends saying something about going to another wagon and searching for a more comfortable place. She thought, she had nodded and smiled, and fallen into the very next couch like seat.

Aoyama was sitting beside her, squeezed into the wall, wrapped into a blanket (her doing).

Too afraid to lean closer to him, she pushed herself farther into the soft fabric, all too much aware of the demon-boy to her left. He wasn't sleeping, she noted. Couldn't, most likely, because of the blond beauty, whose head was pillowed on his shoulder.

It had been a long day, and Ichigo was too exhausted to think. Or feel, for that matter. Yet, she still craved his closeness and in an impulse, reached out her hand and slipped it under the blanked, covering him. His warm fingers curled over her soft ones and squeezed gently. Neither looked at the other.

After a small eternity, Ichigo freed her heart and turned to Masaya. He was facing away from her, and she tugged the blanked, and cuddled to his back, until he turned around, putting an arm around her. Behind them, Rin did the same to Shiemi and rested his head on her head.

The Kyoto-trio had to survive lack of sleep, warmth and comfort, squashed together at the other end of the couch.

 **The End.**


End file.
